The Five Demands

Vigilant ex-officer thwarted blast (Belfast Telegraph)

A former policeman and his 12-year-old daughter escaped death or serious injury after he thwarted a booby trap car bomb attack in Northern Ireland.

The ex-officer discovered the viable device attached to the under-side of his vehicle as he was about to drive his child to school in east Belfast this morning.

Dissident republicans opposed to the peace process have been blamed for the murder bid, with the PSNI revealing the un-detonated explosive bore “striking similarities” to other car bombs planted by the extremist groups in the past.

It was found by the former officer, who left the service a number of years ago, as he performed a routine security check on his vehicle outside his home on Kingsway Park in the Tullycarnet area of Dundonald.

Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Chief Superintendent Nigel Grimshaw said the man’s vigilance had undoubtedly averted a tragedy.

“The former officer is a family man and his 12-year-old daughter was with him and was certainly within close proximity,” he said.

“That adds a very significant and stark element to this whole thing.”

The PSNI commander urged all serving and former security force members to take heed of the incident and be on the look out for similar devices.

He added: ” I would ask everybody to pause and reflect on the significance of what I am saying. This was somebody going about their daily business, getting up on a Friday morning, taking their kids to school, which I am sure all of us do on many occasions, and yet they could have been facing tragedy had they got into the car and that device exploded and either killed or seriously injured them.

“I need people to think about that because there are those out in the community who know who is doing this. We need that information brought forward.”

Dissidents have killed two policemen, two soldiers and a prison officer in the last five years.

In 2011, freshly-qualified constable Ronan Kerr, 25, was killed when a booby trap bomb detonated under his car outside his house in Omagh, Co Tyrone.

There have been a series of other failed car bomb attempts on security force members.

A number have been perpetrated in predominantly unionist neighbourhoods in east Belfast – areas once considered relatively safe places for security force members to settle and live.

Meanwhile in recent weeks, four viable letter bombs have been posted to senior police officers, Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers and an office of the Public Prosecution Service.